Signal device and mechanical movement



March 24,193@v Fjs. NAWROCKI ,2,035,184

SIGNAL DEVICE AND MECHANICAL MOVEMENT Filed Sept. 26, 1933 A TTORNE YS.

Patented Mar. 24, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT oFF-ICE:

sIGNAL'DEvIoE AND MECHANICAL f MOVEMENT.

9 Claims.

This vinvention relates to a signal device and mechanical movement. for operating the. same. The signal device'is more particularly intended for automobile trac signaling but the invention is not limited to signals of such a character.

With regard to the mechanical movementrincluded in the invention, said mechanical movement may be adapted to various otheruses than the operation of a. signal element.

The signal provided by this invention is adapted for attachment'to various makes ofl self-propelled vehicles now on `the market, in a .position wherein Ait is easily operable by the driver.

`Ihesignal device p-rovided .by thisinvention,

' although primarily intended to be operated autormatically by the steering mechanism of the vehicle is nevertheless of such a Aconstruction that if `desired it may be .arranged for direct manual operation by the driver.

Other objects, advantages and-features ofthe invention may hereinafter appear.-

Referring tothe. accompanying drawing which illustrates what is at present deemed to be a preferred embodimentof the invention.

Fig. .1.is a faceview of the device displaying a go signal.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section on line.2-2 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 3 vis a transverse section on line 3-3 .of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a vertical section on line-,B .of `Fi'g..2, portions of the structure being broken away to contract the view.

Fig. 5 is a side elevation .showing .sufficient structure to illustratethe applicationof the invention to a self-propelled vehicle.

Referring in detail to the drawing uand describingl rst the parts which embody themechanical movement for operating. the signal-proper, the housing I I is preferably of a sheet4 metal character. It is shown in the drawing asof a parabolic shape as seen in vertical mid-section. Said housing is .completed in front by means of a glass-.cover I2 behind which is a face plate I3'having` therein a transversely elongated sight opening;y |33: through .which is displayed a signal element having.v a, general designation I4. Said.. housing is supportedy in any suitable manner as by meansof a standard I5 having a head ange I9 to which the lower side oi the housing is riveted.

.Within said housing is mounted -a supporting member or bracket plate having side arms I'I which are spaced apart from each other to. include between them the operating partsV hereinafter described. Each of saidarms I'I has at one endan expanded portion I8 whereby it is secured to the face plate I3 and at its other end an in- Y apart from each other to form an inside housing.

This inside housing is provided with a backwardly directed reduced'open end portion or extension 2 I.

Each side of the housing extension .2| isprovided with a .pivot pin and upon these `pivot pins .is rockably mounted a segmental-member 26.y which has end arms 21 to cooperate with said pins. Said. segmental memberv 26 is provided at each endr with an ear 23 or 29, said .earsb'eing respectively connected with operating'rods `3.0 and 3i. These operating rods are in turhconnected. with apivotally supported operating member 32 having an operating arm. 33.' A rod 34 is shown .connected at its upper end` to. said arm v33 and at its lower end tothe bell crank 35 which, inturn, is actuated ,by a rod'36fjconnectible with rany suitable operating means'. lo-

cated'more rearwardly on the" vehicle. Y

Returning to the signal Voperating meansshown in Figs.` 2, 3 andA 4, the segmental .member 26 is provided withY a spiral slot .45 throughwhich extends A a pin 4S which is4 carried by the closed end portion of a yoke member III'pivoted at49. Said yoke memberhasfat each side an arm 48.'. .The pai-rl iii-arms fthusprovided embrace the inner housingformed by the plates ZI'Iandthehousing 'Y extensionZi carried by them.V Withi'nthespaoe bounded-.by-theseparts.29 and .2I is mounted/an inner yoke member which'cooperates with the yoke 4l. 'I'he connecting means betweenthese two yokemembersis a tension spring. 5I, one end of said spring being securedto a lug 52"'which profjectsinwardly: from. the. closed end portion .of the yoke 4T. The other endfof said. spring is secured tofa lug 53 .which projects .inwardly from the closed-end portion of theyoke.` The extremities ofthe. arms of the yoke 5.are each pivoted` to thehousing at 54., andthe opposite end of theyoke 59 is provided with an operating arm 55. Said operating arm projects .through a vspiral slot.Y 55 .with which the signal-carryingV cylinder 5l. isprovided. VThe cylinder 5l` is fixed to an axialY shaftgthe extremities of said shaft beingjournalled inthe arms I'I. Thisvconstruc- 'tion` provides.` means whereby, the oscillatory movements: of.. the. yoke 59 togetherwith its yarm 55-cansethesignal-carrying cylinderI to rock about itsaxis;

The cylinder 51 is provided with .radial arm 59 nal plate 60. Said signal plate, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, is provided with a-go-indicating section 6|, and an indicating section 62 which may be used as a stop signal, the portion 63, located between the other two sections thereof, forming a connection between them. Said plate may be formed as a segment of a polygonal tube, as shown in the drawing or it may be uniformly curved, if preferred. The length, shape and position of the spiral slot 56 of the cylinder 5l, is such as to cause the arm 55 at one limit of its travel to display the go indicating signal and at the other limit of its travel to displa5r a stop indicating signal.

'Ihese signals will be rendered more clearly visible by the electric lamps 66 mounted within the main casing Il.

The invention is not limited to the use of yokeshaped levers but levers may be arranged within the scope of the appended claims of a diierent character providing that they are oppositely pivoted to supporting means and have their free end portions connected to each other by an overthrow spring. y

It will be seen that the overthrow spring 5I connects the free end portions of the two cooperating yoke-shaped levers and that the swinging movements of each of said levers describe figures shaped as sectors of cylinders the upper and lower sides of which are bounded by parallel planes, the apex of each of said ligures being directed towards the arc of the other, said levers swinging in an overlapping relation to each other. A space economizing structure is thereby produced.

The operation through the rearwardly operable rod 36, will be carried out by reason of the 4l passes its central position said spring will cause the inside lever 55 to begin to move, and as soon as the latter lever starts moving the spring will quickly complete its swing thus causing the signal element proper to move in a quick and eicient manner.

I claim:

1. In a device of the kind described, a cylindrical member having a spiral slot, means to turnably support said member, a signal pro-per, connecting means between said member and signal proper whereby the latteris movable to and from display position by turning movements of said member, a part operatively engaging said slot, and means to reciprocate said part lengthwise of said member in order to impart reverse turning movements thereto.

2. A signal operating device comprising two turnable or rocking members each of which is provided with a segmental portion having a spiral slot therein, one of said members being a driving member and the other being a. driven member, means to mount said members to turn or rock about parallel axes, a driving lever pivotally supported at one end and having its free end projecting through the slot of the driving segment to be reciprocated thereby, a driven lever pivotally mounted at one end and having its other end projecting through the slot of said driven segment, and a spring connection between said levers to cause the .operation of the driving lever to actuate the driven lever.

3. A signal operating device comprising a housing having open ends, a yoke shaped driving lever external to said housing having its limbs pivotally secured to one end portion thereof, an arm projecting from the closed end of said lever, a segmental member rockably mounted upon said housing and having a spiral slot through which said arm projects in order that the rocking of said member may in turn rock said lever, a yokeshaped driven lever Within said housing having its open end pivotally secured to said housing and directed toward the closed end of said driving lever, a tension spring connecting together the closed end portions of said levers in such a manner that the rocking of one of said levers rocks the other-lever also, an arm projecting from the closed end portion of the driven lever, and a rocking member having a segmental portion provided with a spiral slot into which said last recitedv arm projects to rock said member.

4. A mechanical movement comprising two members of a curved character each having a slotted segmental portion, supporting means to mount said members in such a position that they are rockable about parallel axes, a part mounted upon said supporting means and engaging the slot of one of said members in order that the oscillation of said member may move said part back and forth, another part movably mounted upon said supporting means and engaging the slot of the other member, and means operatively connecting said two parts to cause the oscillation of one of said members to oscillate the other also.

5. In a mechanical movement, a support, two levers mounted upon said support adjacent to each other, each of said levers comprising two limbs which are united toV each other at one end, means to pivotally connect to saidsupport the ends of said limbs farthest from their point of union with each other, a tension spring connecting the united portions of the limbs of one of said levers to the corresponding part of the other of said levers, means to oscillate one of said levers, the other of said levers being positioned to loe'oscillatedY back and forth across dead center by said spring, and power transmitting means connected with the last mentioned lever.

6. In a signal device, a'cylindrical member having a spiral slot in its wall, a support whereon said member is rockably mounted, a lever having one of its ends pivotally mounted upon saidsupport, the free end of said lever projecting into said slot in order that the oscillation of said'lever may also oscillate'said cylinder, another lever pivotally mounted upon said support in a superposed relation to the iirst lever, the free ends of Said levers being directed in opposite directions, a spring operatively connecting the free end of one lever with 'the corresponding end of the other lever, and means to oscillate the second mentioned lever thereby, through said spring, transmitting oscillatory movements to the lever which actuates said cylinder.

'7. In a mechanical movement, a support, two yoke shaped levers mounted-upon said support, each of said levers having arms which extend in substantial parallelism to each other and are pivotally secured to said support at the open end of the yoke, said yokes having their open ends directed oppositely to each other, an overthrow tension spring securing together the closed end portions of said yokes to cause one of said yokes to operate the other when a movement across dead center has occurred, and means to operate one of said yoke-shaped levers to impart a quick overthrow movement to the other of said yokeshaped levers.

8. In a mechanical movement, a support, two yoke shaped levers mounted upon said support, each of said levers having arms which extend in substantial parallelism to each other and are pivotally secured to said support at the open end of the yoke, one of said levers swinging between the arms of the other, said yokes having their open ends directed oppositely to each other, an overthrow tension spring located between the arms of both of said levers and securing together the closed end portions of said yokes to cause one of said yokes to operate the other when a movement across dead center has occurred, and means to operate one of said yoke-shaped levers to impart a quick overthrow movement to the other of said yoke-shaped levers.

9. In a mechanical movement, supporting means, two cooperating swingable levers mounted thereon, said levers each having one end pivoted to said means, said levers being mounted adjacent to each other, an overthrow tension spring which connects the free end portions of said levers, the swinging movements of each of said levers describing a figure shaped as a sector of a cylinder, the upper and lower sides of which are bounded by parallel planes, the apex of each of said figures being directed towards the arc of the other, means to swing one of said levers across its dead center in an overlapping relation to the other, and power transmitting means connected to the other of said levers, said levers each swinging upon an axis intersecting the sector-shaped ligure described by the swinging of the other lever.

FRANK S. NAWROCKI. 

